This invention relates to dispensing packages and, more particularly, to peripherally sealed dispensing packages that are provided with an inner compartmental seal which incorporates an aperture to facilitate the opening of such packages.
The packaging of liquid and dry products in heat sealable, dispensing enclosures by high-speed production techniques and equipment is a well-developed art. The heat sealed, packaged product is generally referred to as having a form-fill-seal construction and is sometimes characterized as a form and fill package. These packages may have a rectangular pouch configuration or other special shape and construction. As to the pouch configuration, there are three basic forms, which are known as the pillow type, three-side seal and four-side seal. The pillow type is constructed from one web and is provided with top and bottom seals and a vertical seam which can take the form of a fin seal or a lap seal. The three-side seal is constructed from one web and is provided with a bottom fold and top and side seals. The four-side seal is constructed from one or two webs and is provided with bottom, side and top seals.
The web used in the construction of heat sealable packages can take the form of a single layer or a multi-layer laminate. In either form, the oppositely disposed sealable faces comprise heat sealable thermoplastic material such as polyethylene, polypropylene or the like. In the laminate configuration, the inner layer is, for example, polyethylene and the outer layer can be cellophane, paper, polyester, metalized polyester, aluminum foil or the like. A heat sealable laminate comprising three or more layers is sometimes designated as a laminate having a sandwich construction or configuration.
The use of moderately thick thermoplastic film as heat sealable packaging material and the use of materials such as linear low density polyethylene and high-strength polyester in the preparation of heat sealable laminates has resulted in packages made therefrom having improved sealing and barrier characteristics. However, these materials which provide beneficial packaging characteristics also increase the manual tear-open resistance of such packages. This tear-open resistance is accentuated when the hands and particularly, the fingers, are wet or oily. Heretofore, tear resistant packaging was provided with a starter tear cut in the peripheral seal, in the form of a slot or notch, to act as guidance means for tearing open the heat sealed package. Since the starter tear cut is produced with a hot knife or blade, the resulting slot or notch has a tendency to re-seal itself. In addition, the utility of the starter cut as a tear-open mechanism is limited by the width of the peripheral seal which determines the depth of the cut. Also, the starter tear cut in tear resistant packages does not substantially improve the tear-open capability of such packages when the fingers are wet or oily.
In order to facilitate the tear-open capability of heat sealed packages having increased tear-open resistance, it would be advantageous to incorporate into such packages finger gripping means which traverse the package compartment or pouch without imparting the integrity of the package and which permit a tear-open force to be applied to the package that is not adversely affected by wet or oily fingers.